Scotland used to beat everyone in soccer. Right up until the 1950s. Canada used to beat everyone in hockey. Right up until the 1950s. So what is happening this year to the US's Olympic Dream team might be the acceptance of the game, the passing of the torch. 
Or they might just suck as the best of the NBA is at home or involved with another court. Another Olympic yawner
In more important news, Petra Cada of Halifax has won two ping-pong games in women's singles. Skip the CBC Olympics site in favour of the BBC, by the way if you want the latest in ping-pongy result news. Canada's news leader is still reporting that she is about to play in the second round on Sunday, about 24 hours after the game ended. I have chosen ping-pong as my focus for these Olympics as it is the only sport which can be played in a rec room and it does not have an antecedent in warfare...at least I don't think it does.
Comments
Wayne - August 16, 2004 3:57 PM
Ping-pong is played in basements. What you are watching on TV is Table Tennis. Cada is a famous name in canadian Table Tennis, as is Domonkas, Nesukitis, and Caetano. And contrary to any reference to warfare, it is a sport that was instrumental in Canada opening relationship with communist China, and Tricky Dick followed suit. China has mor Table tennis players then the population of Canada, and it is second only to soccer in world-wide participation as a sport.
I thought synchronized fly-fishing was to be introduced in Athens? Where is it?
Alan - August 16, 2004 4:27 PM
Ya, ya, ya. And they play the violin in folk bands, too. Sell that one to the ping-pongers.
Nils Ling - August 17, 2004 1:10 AM
Obviously you don't know about the famous Spartan warrior Titikatitocka, who singlehandedly defeated Darius of Persia armed with only a broad wooden paddle. No basis in war, indeed ... I mean, honestly ...
Wayne - August 17, 2004 6:38 AM
A US Table Tennis Association of why you are wrong, Alan, can be found here.http://www.usatt.org/organization/halloffame/zeisberg1.html
And Here...http://www.usatt.org/rseguine/tableTennis.html
and here...http://www.usatt.org/organization/halloffame/shipman.html. Those name I mentioned were former Canadian Champs, and members of the Canadian Table Tennis Assoc.
Alan - August 17, 2004 6:44 AM
I declare that in relation to the naming of ping-pong I am not wrong and never wrong and even all the powers that can be mustered by the almightly US Pingy-Pongy Association can't alter that! You may have been kow-towed by the pamphlets shoved under doors in the night, brow beaten by the incessent rallies out at the edge of town but I won't have it. I am a free man.
Alan - August 17, 2004 8:39 AM
A haiku for Wayne:<blockquote><i>
I, the matador.<br>
Table Tennis Wayne, the bull.<br>
Two words: ice hockey.</blockquote></i>You see, if Wayne is right he has to start calling it "ice hockey" and soccer "football" because those are the names of those sports' official bodies. <p>I win. Let the banners wave.
Wayne - August 17, 2004 3:21 PM
Let your readers decide...
Alan - August 17, 2004 3:44 PM
Great Flibberty Jibbety, Man!!! We can't let the herd possess such powers!?!?
Wayne - August 17, 2004 4:04 PM
Chicken!
Alan - August 17, 2004 4:14 PM
Baaaah-uck.
Alan - August 18, 2004 1:44 PM
The dream is over. What to follow now?
Wayne - August 18, 2004 8:22 PM
As a young TABLE TENNIS player, I was chosen with several other Islanders (one was a Gregory-another an Ellis)to join a group of 10 Canadian junior Table Tennis players to tour Canada with 10 top Chinese juniors as a kinda friendship/exhibition tour in the early-mid '70's. Although I had been to several Canadian Ch'ships and a Canada games in Lethbridge, Alberta, the exhibition would not have been very fair, as we Canadians would have been killed by the superiour Chinese. But as a youth, I was excited at the prospect. At the last minute, the Chinese backed out, not wanting to expose their youth to all the decadance and freedom of the west. The tour was off.
Likely Cada's parent/parents were players as I do recall the name. If I am not mistaken, this girls father was brought from the Czeck Republic to work in Canada as a national coach in the early '80's. Seems he was at the last Canadian Ch'ships I attended, in Ottawa around '82. He lost in the finals to Erol Caetano which was an upset, as although Caetano was good as far as Canada was concerned, he was ranked in the top 1000 in the world, behind about 500 Chinese. Cada was a top European player whose escape from behind the Curtain broughtbehind-the-scenes talk of something intriguing.
Wayne - August 18, 2004 8:25 PM
To answer your question, there is an American Softball pitcher (female, of course) who is really hot!